Tuesday, November 13th, 2012
A new school which also doubles as a church on weekends is breathing life into a village that has been suffocating under the burden of AIDS/HIV for decades. Â Your donations to the Mpunge school have been turned not only into bricks, mortar and plaster, but also joy and hope. Â The projected completion date is January, 2013!
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Monday, November 12th, 2012
“In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.†Proverbs 16:9
This past summer, I was part of a 15-member mission trip to Uganda, for my fifth time. As of May 24, I was not planning on being part of this team, but for me, “He shall give you the desires of your heart,†from Psalm 37:4 was a promise and God doesn’t always “bring it to pass,†but as we “commit our way to the Lord,†and “trust also in Him,â€(Psalm 37:5) we are able to “rest in the Lord,â€(Psalm 37:7) for He wants to bring about the best for our lives. I began to ask God to secure a ticket for my flight, which meant that I had to leave Philadelphia on June 19. If He did, I would know that this was part of His plan, and if he didn’t I would be satisfied with His plan.inflatable toys for kids
What I witnessed this summer is way too much to put on this website, but there is no doubt in my mind that I was exactly where God wanted me to be. Some highlights were:
Busega
–Family reunions, with two Busega boys from Steve’s home back in 1980.
–A visit to one of the Busega boys’ village, a four-hour drive away. Villagers had heard stories about us for thirty years, but weren’t sure if they were real or not.
Ntenjeru
–Four nurses and a pharmacist prepared to administer help to those in need, which meant we had over 400 patients to see in three days.
–Four medical students from Omnimed.org in the United States who we did not know came to the clinic doorstep and asked if they could help us. They came back every day.
–A patient came and described a buzzing sound in his head. Diagnosis, according to some around him: “This man could be crazy!†A medical student shined a light into his ear, asked the nurse for tweezers, and discovered the patient was not crazy! He pulled out a bug that was encapsulated with many different things that had gotten into the man’s ear because he sleeps on the ground.
–The medical clinic, a four-room facility which has faced “red-tape†since being completed in 2009, officially opened the week after we left with a nurse who sees paying patients and is thus able to keep the pharmacy stocked with supplies. Many patients walk up to two hours for treatment.
–Carpenters explored land possibilities, costs and materials for building and met with an architect in preparation for our next project, a Resource Center, but only if God will provide.
Mpgune Village
–Ten months ago I saw classrooms made out of clay and dust-covered boards, which resembled chicken-coops with dirt floors and easel-type chalkboards.
–“Out of the dust†a new school has risen, and a village of 75-80% HIV/AIDS-infected men and women has become vibrant again, buzzing with children and women ready to learn.
–Bricks and mortar, a new block of classrooms, teachers quarters for living, a kitchen and two classrooms with no dividing wall that becomes the village church on weekends, all built with love.
–A latrine with many bathrooms and a hand-washing station outside. The government wants to use this latrine as a model for building other latrines in Uganda.
I have many stories to tell, but I’d like to finish with a quote from Pastor Kefa Sempangi, who oversaw the work at the clinic at the church where it is located. He said, “You don’t have many people who will show up, but the people keep seeing many of you return. You come as the Bible tells you, planting a seed, waiting for harvest—really, this is part of the Harvest! You are putting a hand around us.â€
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Monday, November 12th, 2012
Through the Lord’s calling and servant leaders answering that call, a team of fifteen traveled to Uganda to minister in various ways, collectively and individually, over a three-week period. “The Lord said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.†Gen. 12:1
Our team was blessed to have the diverse skills of four nurses, a pharmacist, two contractors, two teachers, a worship leader, energetic college grads, students and prayer warriors, ranging in age from 13 to 72. Only God could have put this amazing group of people together to pour out the gospel into such a thirsty part of Uganda.inflatable water slide
The trip’s major goal was to spend three days working at the recently-completed medical clinic located behind the Ntenjeru Presbyterian Church, which was constructed through private donations received by Word in Deed ministries.  It was a collaboration of American and Ugandan healthcare professionals, clergy, and volunteers of all kinds (including translators) working hand-in-hand to meet needs in remote villages.
God provided abundantly at the clinic, as there were over 350 men, women and children seen during that short time. One of the amazing miracles God provided was additional helping hands. Imagine seeing a crowd of hundreds of people languishing in the heat of the day, scattered across a grassy field, waiting patiently to be attended to…all I can say is the prayer warriors were asking for wisdom and a miracle. How could so few hands attend to so many in need Inflatable Arches?
bounce houses
“Answered prayers!†is what we all shouted, more than once. During the afternoon of the clinic’s opening, four young students walked up with their Ugandan translator. They had heard through the ‘village grapevine’ that a team of Americans would be doing clinical work, so they offered their assistance. These students were first-year medical students from the United States and happened to be spending time working with another NGO in the area.  We rejoiced as a team, believing that God was truly showing his grace by sending these young people to work with us.
Another joy during this trip was visiting several urban and remote-village schools. We enjoyed music and drama performances, and were able to share testimonies and the love of Christ with children who will become the future of Uganda. We also ministered through Bible studies, men’s/women’s small groups, Vacation Bible School, health and personal hygiene sessions and just plain talking. That was so very cool, as their needs, concerns and wants are really no different than ours. We really share a similarity beyond what you may imagine, even though our lifestyles and circumstances are so different.
One of the hardest parts of the trip was visiting Covenant Junior School, which is a private Christian school adjacent to the First Presbyterian Church of Kampala. The school had just experienced a tragedy five days before we arrived. Part of the campus houses students who live at the school. Some are orphans, but most come from poor, far-away towns and villages, and are sent there to live in hopes of obtaining a better, big-city education. They generally arrive with a small suitcase carrying minimal possessions, and live in very simple, dormitory-like rooms. If you picture what US college-campus housing offers, that’s not the right picture. Even at private schools in the capital of Uganda, you are fortunate if you have a bunk bed with a mattress.
The tragedy happened during the middle of the night. Someone climbed the school’s brick fence and threw a lighted glass bottle-bomb into the girls’ dormitory where 25 young children were sleeping.  We walked into the charred room and were speechless at the destruction. How could another human being want to inflict such pain on a group of schoolgirls? Pastor Edward Kasaija informed us that it was a miracle that none of the girls were injured, but the room turned into an inferno within minutes and the mattresses, bunk beds and all the girls’ belongings were destroyed.
The children were not hurt physically, but all their possessions were lost.  Pastor Edward told us the school could provide new beds for the girls to sleep in, but most of their parents did not have the means to provide them with new supplies.  As a team, we were able to leave some personal hygiene items, clothes and bedding for those who lost everything. We also presented a short drama out of the book of Daniel. The story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego seemed appropriate, given the school’s recent affront. We showed how God protected them from the fire, just as He protected these men in Daniel. Given our amateur skills, I think it was well received by all those in attendance. It continues to be our prayer that this kind of tragedy draws these young students closer to a relationship with Christ.
There were countless other individual and collective experiences–too many to memorialize in a brief account. Just the fact that we continue to visit offers a glimmer of light and hope to those who sometimes feel forgotten. In the book of James, God teaches us this: “Religion that God our father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.â€Â What can be more beautiful than those words? Taking them and turning them into deeds, as God calls us to do.
Lisa Sorensen, WID board and summer team member, 2012
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